Mike Shor: Humor

Teaching MBAs through the Ages

Teaching MBAs in 1950
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

Teaching MBAs in 1960
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of
production is 4/5 of the price, which makes for a cost of $80. What
is his profit?

Teaching MBAs in 1970
A logger exchanges a set "L" of lumber for a set "M" of money. The
cardinality of set "M" is 100. Each element is worth one dollar.
Make 100 dots representing the elements of the set "M". The set
"C", the cost of production, contains 20 fewer points than set "M".
Represent the set "C" as a subset of set "M" and answer the
following question: What is the cardinality of the set "P"
for profits?

Teaching MBAs in 1980
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. Her cost of
production is $80 and her profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline
the number 20.

Teaching MBAs in 1990
By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What
do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class
participation after answering the question: How did the forest
birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees? There
are no wrong answers.

Teaching MBAs in 1995 By laying off 40% of its loggers, a
company improves its stock price from $80 to $100. How much capital
gain per share does the CEO make by exercising his stock options at
$80? Assume capital gains are no longer taxed, because this
encourages investment.

Teaching MBAs in 2000 A company out-sources all of its
loggers. The firm saves on benefits, and when demand for its
product is down, the logging work force can easily be cut back. The
average logger employed by the company earned $50,000, had three
weeks vacation, a nice retirement plan, and medical insurance. The
contracted logger charges $50 an hour. Was outsourcing a good
move?